DIMITRIS CHRISTOFIAS: "IF TURKEY RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, IT WILL BE NOT AGAINST BUT FOR TURKEY"

NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY
JULY 8, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 8, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. If Turkey becomes
a European Union member, Armenia expects neighborhood with European
standards from this country. RA President Serzh Sargsyan mentioned it
at the July 6 joint press conference of the Presidents of RA and Cyprus
within the framework of President of the Republic of Cyprus Dimitris
Christofias’ state visit to Armenia. He emphasized that disrespectful
attitude towards mutual arrangements leads to deepening of distrust,
barrier, necessity of making more efforts in the future. The
country head mentioned at the same time that Armenia is for Turkey’s
membership to the European Union as in this case Turkey will be more
"predictable, more safe and more corresponding to our ideas," and
in case of Turkey’s membership Armenia can become a direct neighbor
of the EU. The President of Cyprus is also for Turkey’s membership,
but he is for membership of a developed, changed Turkey, corresponding
to the European standards.

The President of Cyprus welcame Serzh Sargsyan’s experience in
the direction of improving the relations with Turkey: "It is very
difficult to negotiate with Turkey, but there is no alternative way,
one must move only in the way of peace," he said. Cyprus was the
first to condemn the Armenian Genocide, therefore it considers that
if Turkey recognizes the Armenian Genocide, it will be not against
but for Turkey.